Unreasonable Actions
by demented-fool
Summary: Set right after 2x12. My view on what's up with Rafferty's behaviour towards Shay and the beginning of their bonding.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** If I owned these characters I would definitely not be writing them here.

**Context:** Starts right after ep. 2 of the 2nd Season

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Leslie Shay was currently occupied with the transfer of her clothes from the washing machine to the dryer. Her movements were mechanical and automatic, as her mind was still processing the extensive talk she'd just have with her new partner Rafferty after they shared a hug.

The blonde paramedic had been wondering about Rafferty's attitude for a couple days now, when it came to her sexual orientation, because it seemed like a particularly weird one.

I mean, who turns homophobic just by sharing an ambulance with a gay partner? Why so late in the game? Generally this kind of attitude comes from upbringing and so on. So, there were two plausible options: Or Rafferty had been always homophobic and it aggravated when she shared her job with that gay paramedic, or something else happened during their job together.

But as it turns out, it was mostly because of bad timing. Rafferty told Shay that she had left her resident position at the hospital after her fiancée got diagnosed with Hodgkin's and when he died she had to get a job and ended up as a paramedic with that gay woman right after. At first it wasn't the homosexual part of the 'intimate and overly graphic conversations on the phone' that touched her nerves, but the 'intimate' part. Rafferty had just lost her fiancée, and instead of being able to focus on her job and trying to get over it her own way, she had put up with someone at duty hours portraying excessively public displays of affection on the phone. For six bloody months. Instead of being able to deal with it, Rafferty admitted, she just turned all her sadness into anger, and projected it towards any gay person she came across with.

And, as a bitter icing on the cake, when she discovered after being accepted to Ambulance 61, that she'd have another gay partner, she just lost it and took the homophobic comments as routine and as if nothing was wrong with it. Obviously, after Shay being so sensitive and supportive just now at the laundry room, Rafferty felt she owned an explanation and a change of attitude. She still couldn't put up with some stuff, but when it came to Shay at least, she'd try to filter her nastiness.

After such a heartfelt conversation (even though Rafferty kept a safe distance between her and Shay during the whole exchange, absently scrapping a loose plastic from the drier machine) Shay's opinion of her partner changed even more. It already did significantly shift after she discovered about her fiancée's death, but now…she saw directly her softer and vulnerable side and Shay was starting to feel it'd be extremely dangerous to work with Rafferty, because when they were just teasing each other it was all fun and games. She knew that, at some point, she was attracted to her, but obviously decided she'd never do anything about it because of her attitude. However, now they were slowly getting closer, it seemed to be a very risky territory to be in.

_Never fall for a straight, vulnerable woman who happens to be your co-worker...EVER!_ – Shay thought, shaking her head and then proceeding to close the dryer's door with a loud *pang*.

_You don't like her. You sympathize with her. You tease her, she teases back. It's all just typical, platonic, fun, co-worker banter._

Needless to say, despite saying these things to herself, Shay was, against her better judgment, starting to fall for Allison Rafferty.

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**Feel free to leave constructive criticism :]**

**I just had these thoughts on my mind and I had to get them off. I intend on keep following this and turn it into a multi-chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Still a very small chapter but I'm still working out how the story will develop, have a little patience :]**

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Most of the crew of the fire department was in the midst of their celebration at Molly's pub, cheerfully patting and hugging paramedic Leslie Shay, when her new partner came in looking around for familiar faces.

Shay spotted her face in the middle of the cheering crowd, noticing that she looked rather out of her element – so she made the most sensible thing she could thing of and, leaving her mates behind, went to fetch Rafferty and try to make her welcome in the family.

"You made it!" – She shouted to Rafferty, when they managed to meet in the middle of the bar.

Now that she could see her properly, Shay admired the woman in front of her, whom she'd never seen in casual clothes before. She was wearing a navy V-neck shirt and black jeans, and Shay eventually noticed she was staring when her partner shouted back, pushing her back to reality.

"So this is Molly's!" – She said, looking around appraisingly - "Hey, I think they're calling for you." – She pointed with her head at the crew, which was receiving a tray full of tequila shots and were waving back at Shay to get her attention.

"What? Another toast?" – Shay exclaimed, raising her eyebrows at her friends – When they all nodded and smiled, the blonde woman turned to the brunette and said:

"C'mon Rafferty, let's exorcize a little bit of your sarcasm with alcohol." – And then she took the other paramedic's hand and slowly dragged her through the dense crowd back to the crew's table. Shockingly, the other woman didn't seem to mind the temporary hand holding. Shay decided to make a small test as soon as they arrived to the table, releasing their hands.

"Don't forget to wash your hands afterwards; you might turn gay." – She said back at Rafferty, who was waving hello at everyone.

"I think I'll live." – She said with a small smile, this being her way of saying she was calling a truce.

Shay lowered her head, trying to hide her victorious smile, not wanting to show too much smugness and trigger Rafferty's bitter side again - as fun as it was sometimes.

"One more please!" – Shouted Mills at the waitress, pointing at the recently-arrived paramedic.

"What are we toasting to?" – Asked Rafferty.

"Oh, I seemed to have given all that inheritance money away to save Molly's." – Answered Shay, trying to dismiss the importance of the gesture.

"She's a hero, that's what she is!" – Yelled Hermann, while giving Shay a shot glass and a slice of lemon.

"Really?" – Asked her partner – "Weren't you going to give it back?"

"Well, that was my intention. But the guy stole his brother's military pension."

"Oh. What a piece of shit." – Commented Rafferty.

Shay nodded in agreement and continued:

"So I thought…Why not put the money to good use? Here's your shot." – Shay picked up the tiny glass from the waitress' tray and gave it to Rafferty, who took it with a quick smile.

"So, not only did you try to give all that cash back, but refused to when you discovered the guy was a jerk, and even then, you didn't keep it to yourself and saved this pub." – Rafferty pointed out.

"Yeah."

"I don't know many people who'd do that." – Rafferty said, staring at her partner with a small hint of admiration in her eyes.

Shay shrugged it out and shouted to her friends:

"Are we gonna drink this or not?"

Everyone yelled back and cheered, raising their glasses together.

Rafferty felt a sudden rush of temporary happiness. She really hit the jackpot with this division, everyone was so friendly and genuinely good people. Sure, she still didn't know all of them well enough, but the warmth seemed very real between them. She remembered her first interactions with Shay and regretted them immensely. Thank god they seemed to clean the slate since earlier that day.

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**Let me know what you think ***

**[New chapter tomorrow]**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took so long, I decided to wait for the new episode this week to have more background story to explore.**

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It was the most uneventful shift since Rafferty had joined Ambulance 61. The crew was peacefully enjoying it, some at the common room, and some outside playing poker.

Shay's previous partner, Dawson, was also around, as if nothing changed.

In a way, Rafferty understood why she liked to hang around – most of these people were her friends, and after working for such a long time with them, it's difficult to let go all of a sudden.

But if it was Rafferty in her shoes, she'd deal with it differently. She'd never set foot in that division, unless needed. She'd cut that connection right away, and only be with her friends outside of the workplace. Even if it would cost more in the beginning, in the long run she'd be able to distance herself and just let it go, instead of gradually, painfully seeing their friends in action and not being able to be part of it.

The thing was, everybody **_adored_** having Dawson around, so nobody said a word to her about letting go. It didn't interfere with their work anyway, so why bother?

But then that electric pole accident occurred, and lights were off in the whole neighborhood for the night, and it did interfere with **_her_** work. Dawson begun bossing around as if she was still directing Ambulance 61 and it got to her nerves. Rafferty knew how good Dawson was at her old job, she'd heard it from everyone, frequently. And while having her assistance was ok in her book, especially in such a dire situation as they were that night, being bossed around was not. Not when that person had no authority whatsoever anymore.

Shay said nothing about it, but Rafferty sensed she also didn't like what her close friend was doing, since the blonde paramedic kept sending unsure glances at her, as if she knew Rafferty was **_this close _**to snap at Dawson and had every reason to.

Still, not having said anything, not even calling her friend to reason, that was what annoyed Rafferty the most. But what could she do? Losing her temper at duty hours was something Rafferty didn't want to do, so she remained cool as long as she could.

Shay stared at Rafferty for a few seconds. They had just left the girl who was run over by the drunk driver at the hospital, and were driving back to their division, Rafferty silently at the wheel.

It's been a couple of weeks working with Rafferty, and while that was not enough to know her very well yet, Shay knew, nevertheless, how she was feeling right now.

"You okay?" – She tentatively asked.

"Yeah." – Rafferty curtly answered, obviously bottling up a lot of stuff.

Shay sighed. How in hell is she supposed to deal with this? Her best friend was overstepping her boundaries, but she couldn't call her out on it, because she fully understood what she was going through. And she would eventually come around.

In a way though, she wanted to do something about it; at least for Rafferty's sake. But she didn't want to interfere and then having to listen to Rafferty saying she could very well take care of her work issues, thank you very much.

"Okay then." – Shay said, diverting her attention to the fogged window, drawing up a smiley face on it.

Rafferty sent her partner a quick glance.

"Is Dawson really going through with her firefighter career?" – She eventually asked.

Such a blunt question surprised Shay. She left her work of art and turned her full attention to her partner.

"I think so. Why?"

"You know exactly why." – Rafferty immediately answered, a bit of anger showing up in her voice.

"Look, it's just hard for her to let go. She worked with us for a long t-"– Shay started, only to be interrupted.

"It would be fine if she didn't decide to boss us around." – Rafferty finally said. _There_ – She thought – _you let it out now._

Shay decided not to answer right away. She knew her partner was right.

She inhaled a long breath, let it out, and said in the most comprehensive tone she could gather:

"Listen, she means well. Really. She doesn't want to disrespect you."

"She's not doing a very good job at that."

"Yeah, I know. Just…give her break for now. She'll eventually step away."

Rafferty scoffed.

"I seriously doubt it. Someone has to call her out on it, but apparently everyone is afraid to hurt her feelings. She's a grown woman for god's sake."

"…You're right." – Shay eventually agreed.

Rafferty was surprised to hear that. Apparently Shay could be impartial, that was a good thing. "If she does it again, I won't stand back. I don't care if everyone loves her." – Rafferty stated.

Shay immediately felt a rush of sympathy for her. As if what she went through 6 months ago wasn't enough, Rafferty also had to deal with this in the workplace – having to replace someone who everyone cared for.

She wanted to say something comforting, or, hell, tell her she actually enjoyed having her as a partner, but would she take it well? Would she dismiss it, or worse, think she was coming onto her? Shay rolled her eyes and decided to go for it:

"Well, just so you know, you're a very good paramedic and huh, I have no complaints."

_Great job, Leslie_ – She sarcastically congratulated herself. _No complaints? Seriously? That's the best you could think of?_

"Gee, thanks." – Rafferty answered, her voice charged with irony.

Shay shaked her head and decided to let it go, instead of making it worse.

Eventually, in the end, everything was sorted. Dawson apologized to Rafferty, and they even managed to work as team and deal with the elderly woman's heart attack.

After delivering the elderly woman at the hospital and filling out the reports, they went back to the Ambulance in order to return to the division, to call it a day (the night was long gone) before heading home.

Dawson was back at the rig during the whole ride, as Shay and Rafferty, completely exhausted, were making up conversation in an effort to stay wake.

"So every single one of them has a completely different idea for the pub and have been, individually, trying to buy my vote." – Shay explained, winning a small laugh from Rafferty.

"Oh man, you should totally make up a completely different pitch. That'd drive them nuts."

Her partner suggested, completely amused by the whole thing.

"You know what? I think I will." – Shay said, completely sure now that she more than enjoyed Rafferty's company.

And then, Shay came up with Lesbian Night and they arrived at the division laughing, much to Dawson's annoyance, because Shay refused to tell her what they were so amused about.

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**Reviews are more than welcome!**


	4. Chapter 4

**As promised, a fresh new chapter. Let's assume Katie wasn't kidnapped and all is well in 61.**

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"So, you and Rafferty...getting along well?"

Dawson had just arrived for a quick visit at 61, to meet Casey during her lunch break. She spotted Shay by herself at the rig though, and decided to catch up before going in.

"Yeah. She's cool." – Shay answered, putting her cellphone aside.

She'd been texting back this girl who she met at Molly's the other night. At first she rebuffed the girl's advances (Sarah was her name), because lately she hasn't been in the mood for dating. But then Shay noticed Rafferty's glances (that she interpreted as being judgmental) and decided to give her number away, feeling rather stupid afterwards. She knew nothing would happen between them… she was just trying to prove some kind of ridiculous point. Maybe just to let Rafferty know that she wasn't really her type, because Sarah was the exact opposite of her partner, be it physically or mentally.

Why Shay decided to do it, though, she didn't know. Rafferty hasn't said anything about Shay coming onto her for a long time now. Things between them have been quite good actually. They could be considered practically friends now. They even started talking a lot on their breaks, more and more avoiding the common room and preferring to hang out in the rig together.

That was it. They were getting _too_ close. It'd be okay if it was Dawson. They were like sisters, there was no attraction going on. They just cared for each other, like she cared for Severide.

But with Rafferty, Shay knew it was completely different. She couldn't help but feel drawn towards her, and acting indifferent was getting more complicated by the day. And if she rebuffed Sarah maybe Rafferty would start wondering why Shay wasn't looking, and theories would start to form in her head. The last thing Shay wanted was Rafferty putting her guards up again. She liked natural, easy-going Rafferty.

"No more homophobic comments?" – Insisted Dawson, sitting by Shay's side, on the edge of the rig's entrance.

"Nope." – Shay said, starting to wonder the reason behind this line of questioning.

"Cool." – Dawson said, her facial expression showing otherwise.

"I miss you, obviously." – Shay pointed out, finally understanding why Dawson was so curious about her new partner - "You know that, _right?"_

Dawson smiled.

"You better."

Eventually Casey showed up, and Shay was left alone by the ambulance.

She looked at the time on her cell. _Where the hell is Rafferty?_ _She went to the toilet ages ago._

_Maybe she decided to hang out with the boys_ – Pondered Shay.

It was a plausible idea, even after them gradually being spending more time alone together.

Not wanting to be isolated for a long time, Shay opted to go back to the common room, only to come to the conclusion that Rafferty wasn't there, either.

"Hey, have you seen Rafferty?" – Shay asked Mills, who was sitting in the couch with Mouch, preparing to start a game of cards.

"Yeah. She passed by a long time ago, didn't see her coming back yet though." – he said, shuffling the card's deck.

"Okay, thanks man." – Shay said, deciding to go look for her.

She didn't find her in the bathroom, or in the locker room. She called out for her in the restroom, the last place she could've been, only to hear a faint "Over here."

Shay followed the voice and found Rafferty lying on top of one of the beds, her forearm over her head.

"What's up?" – Shay asked, squatting by the bed.

"Headache." – Rafferty informed, not moving an inch – "I have the worst kind: the ones that come with little warning."

"Have you taken anything?" - Shay asked, wanting to reach out to her partner but then decided against it.

"Yes, I'm just waiting for its effect." – Rafferty answered, eyes still closed beneath her arm.

"Okay. Hum. I'll leave you to it. Unless you need anything?" – Shay asked, not wanting to bother her partner but at the same time not wanting to just leave her there alone.

Rafferty smiled, finally uncovering her head and opening her eyes to look at Shay. She had seen her partner's eyes from up close before, when they were teasing each other, but the intensity they had right now took Rafferty by surprise. She noticed she had stopped breathing for a couple seconds and then turned her head to the ceiling, trying to disguise her brief discomfort by rubbing her left temple with her hand.

"You can keep me company." – She suggested.

Shay smiled. "Sure."

Rafferty scooted a bit further into the opposite side of the bed, giving Shay some space to sit down on the other side.

Shay's cellphone beeped once and its sound was abnormally loud in the practically empty restroom.

"Sorry." – Shay apologized, taking the cellphone off her jacket's pocket, turning off its sound.

"You should check it; it could be your blonde friend from the other night." – Rafferty said, obviously talking about Sarah. Her tone was neutral though, so Shay couldn't spot any particular emotion in it that could explain Rafferty's opinion in the matter.

"Possibly, yes. But I'll call her later." -Shay said, making herself more comfortable at the bed, pulling her right leg over it.

Rafferty let out a long sigh and begun rubbing her temples again.

"Let me." – Shay offered, leaning closer over Rafferty, and gently taking her partner's hands away from her head. She began massaging her partner's temples in a very slow motion, trying to ignore the heavy, constraining feeling at her chest.

After what could be many minutes, Rafferty slowly opened her eyes, staring back at Shay. There was something undeniable hanging in the short space between them, and it felt, for both of them, that something could detonate at any moment. It took Shay a couple of seconds to notice she had stopped moving her thumbs, and then she immediately inclined back and let go of Rafferty's face.

"Better?" – She asked, her voice coming out very weak and somewhat raspy.

Rafferty somehow didn't trust her voice to come out so instead gave a small nod.

_What the hell just happened – _she thought, suddenly aware that did not feel as a normal interaction being co-workers, or even between two friends.

Thinking it wise to get more space between them, Rafferty sat up, supporting her back against the cold wall.

_Great, you've made her uncomfortable_ – Shay thought, looking down on her hands.

"Thanks." – Rafferty eventually said, managing a small smile. Shay looked up at her and shyly smiled back, feeling things were all right after all.

In that moment, a sudden thought crossed Rafferty's mind that took her by surprise.

She'd noticed before that Shay was an attractive woman. It was a fact; she had no problems recognizing it. _But suddenly finding her cute, and sweet?_ _Holy shit, Rafferty._

_You're falling for a woman._

_You're falling for your gay, paramedic partner._

_Holy SHIT._

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**So? Thoughts? Any good? I'm awful at describing tense situations, so, sorry if it feels like it's lacking more descriptions.**


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry it took so long, I was waiting for more context from the show to keep on writing.

The next chapter is already in the works!

**EDIT: I thought the NHL players offered the tickets to the whole firehouse but apparently it was just for Molly's owners. Just let this one pass please!**

**EDIT #2: In my story Raff already knew about Lesbian Night (see end of Ch.3) but in the latest episode they talked about it as if she didn't know (obviously, the writers don't read my fanfics) and by mistake I forgot about that tiny detail. I edited it now so it makes more sense to my story and the context of their conversation in the latest ep. Sorry for the first readers who had to put up with that mistake!**

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"So, I heard you're thinking about having a Lesbo night at Molly's" – Rafferty asked, trying to keep a casual tone, hoping it'd hide her curiosity.

When she first heard about it from Hermann's mouth, she couldn't help but smirk; she thought Shay wouldn't go through with that pitch - apparently the girl had balls. _Nothing I didn't know already, if our first days of working together as paramedics weren't proof enough._

"Eh, I'm having second thoughts. I mean…Lesbians are notoriously light drinkers. You really got to pack 'em in to break even" – Shay casually stated.

"Hmm, I did not know that." – Rafferty confessed, forgetting to keep the curious tone out of her voice.

_Hang on. She's genuinely interested. – _Shay thought, taking her eyes from the road and sending quick glances at her partner.

"What?" – Rafferty asked defensively.

"You just seem unusually interested." – Shay admitted.

"I am _not_ interested." – Rafferty said, not able to keep a nervous smile from appearing.

_Shit. Shit._

"Are you thinking about coming out to me, Rafferty?" – Shay asked, with an amused voice. – "Because if you are-"

_No. Shit. This is not happening. _

"Just, drive!" – Was all Rafferty managed to say, completely frustrated by her lack of snarky comments right now.

Shay decided to let Rafferty out of her misery for now and obliged.

Oh, how it was fun to tease her. It was becoming to get dangerous, but that didn't mean she'd stop doing it. Mainly now, that Rafferty seemed to be getting so easily affected by it. Shay was awful when it came to detecting if a woman was into her, but Rafferty was sending all these signs that were just impossible to ignore.

_Get over yourself, woman; she had a fiancée 6 months ago, for God's sake._

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Later that day, at Molly's, the bar was just starting to get crowded.

Shay had plenty of Hockey tickets in her pocket, and she intended on distributing them now before something happened to them.

She spotted Rafferty, who was sitting with Cruz and Mouch, and picked a chair and placed it nonchalantly by her former partner.

"Hello there!" – Shay greeted her friend.

"Is all that joy from finally seeing me off your ambulance?" – Rafferty asked, proceeding to take a swig from her beer.

"You know me too well." – Shay said with a wink, and, after Rafferty threw her a nasty look, she added:

"More Hockey tickets." – She took the free tickets out of her pocket and waved them in front of Rafferty's eyes, which squinted a bit in response.

Mouch and Cruz stopped their conversation as soon as they spotted the tickets.

"What are you going to do with them?" – Rafferty asked.

"They're for us all. You know, to attend the next game as guests." - She nudged Rafferty with her elbow.

"Oooh, awesome!" – Cruz cheered, extending his arm to get one for himself. Mouch copied his moves with a smile on his face.

"Oh, no no no, I'm not a fan. Thanks, though." – The brunette said, as Shay let her male friends take possession of a couple of tickets.

"I'm not either. But it'd be rude not to go now. I mean…the players themselves invited us as guests." – Shay explained. When Rafferty shrugged, Shay took it as a challenge.

"C'mon. You need to be there so I have someone to make fun of the game with." – Shay said, ignoring Mouch's protests.

She flashed one of her irresistible grins towards Rafferty and added:

"Besides, I know you have all the free time in the world now, and will be deeply offended if you refuse to come."

A small smile escaped Rafferty's control and after some seconds, she said:

"Making fun of Hockey does seem like an interesting way to spend an evening."

"Hey!" – Mouch protested again.

"That's what I'm talking about!" – The blonde girl cheered, patting Rafferty in the back and giving her one of the tickets.

"I'll be right back; I just need to give these ones away to the rest of the crew. Should I bring you another one?" - Shay asked pointing at Rafferty's almost-empty bottle of beer.

Rafferty nodded and smiled, her eyes following Shay's form as she walked away from the table.

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"So I'll pick you up at six?" – Shay asked, as she accompanied Rafferty to the exit of Molly's. Almost everyone from Division 51 had already left.

"Sure. God, this is sounding a lot like a date." – Rafferty complained, as she put on her jacket and they passed through the door. – "You sure you don't need help closing up?"

"No, Hermann is still here. Thanks though." – Shay answered, putting her hands in her pockets due to the sudden change of temperature. "And what kind of a date would that be, with five more guys?"

"An awful one." – Rafferty quipped right back.

"Precisely. And I don't do bad dates." – Shay pointed out, with a confident smile.

Rafferty couldn't help but smile back. "Right." – She eventually said to break the silence. "Night Shay." – Rafferty extended her hand and let it rest on Shay's left upper arm for a second and slide off shortly after -"I'll see you on Friday."

Shay said goodbye and waited until her ex-colleague got in the cab to go back inside.

"So she's coming to the game?" – Hermann asked all the way from behind the counter, as he stacked bottles back in their proper place.

"Yup." – Shay answered with a smile.

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**Let me know what you think :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Leslie Shay really couldn't care less about Hockey. The only reason she was attending this game was out of courtesy and, secretly, out of wanting to hang out with Rafferty outside of work. And with the whole suspension thing going on, this being a group outing with the rest of the guys would help Rafferty still feel included in the firehouse crew.

Shay knew for a while now she was attracted to Rafferty, but for obvious reasons she was playing it cool and treating her like any other friend she had. She decided that if her musings were correct and Rafferty was indeed kind of interested, it'd have to be her to take the first step, or Shay would've at least to be 100% sure before following her instincts, otherwise things would get messy and awkward.

_Ugh, judging by her stubbornness, I'm pretty sure it's more likely for me to win the lottery than her admitting she was into me - _Shay thought as she tried to decide what to wear.

She ended up picking a dark green & black checkered flannel shirt, just to annoy Rafferty, and a pair of black jeans. Her thoughts went back to Rafferty's questioning about Lesbian Night as she got dressed and did her make-up.

_Did she ran out of things to talk about or was just really interested in it? God I hate not to be sure about stuff like this. If I could just cut the crap and ask her what the hell is going on in her insufferable mind of hers._

She did try to question Rafferty about her interest, but her partner was pretty dodgy about it and looked somehow uncomfortable, and the last thing Shay wanted was for Rafferty to start shutting her out.

A sudden beep startled Shay out of her thoughts, and as she picked her cellphone and read the message she couldn't help but roll her eyes and smile.

**Are lesbians usually punctual? Because if so you'll have to wait 10 minutes. I'm a bit late -R**

Shay thought for some seconds before answering back. She suddenly remembered their conversation in the locker room, after Rafferty got suspended, and typed with a huge smile on her face:

**10 mins? That's unacceptable. I want a divorce. - S**

Not even a minute after she got her answer:

**Fine. But I get to keep the all the 13 flannel shirts. -R**

**That's kinda gay. And I only have 7. –S**

**We're getting divorced, and you only noticed that I'm gay NOW? -R**

**I've been told before I'm pretty bad at sussing out lesbians. –S**

**Yeah, I've figured that out already. –R**

Shay wondered for a moment if this last text was Rafferty just playing along or just her sneaky way of saying Shay hasn't noticed her partner was into girls too.

_No, no, __**Shay**__, do __**not**__ wonder. Do __**not**__ guess. This is __**not**__ a signal. _

The paramedic brushed her thoughts aside and resumed the typing on her cellphone, making her way to the door.

**I am, however, kinda punctual, so hurry the hell up, I'm already on my way –S**

* * *

Rafferty did take 10 minutes to come down from her flat, but since Shay had scheduled the ride for a bit sooner than needed (having in mind Chicago's traffic), they were still on time for the game.

"So…what have you been up to these past few days?" – Shay asked, making it sound like small talk but really she actually wanted to know. It's been a couple of days since Rafferty got news of her suspension and even though Shay was glad to be partnering up with Dawson again, she missed the banter she used to have with Rafferty.

"Not much, really." – Rafferty said in a bored voice.

"I'm pretty sure you've had something else to do besides being dragged out of your flat to a sports game you didn't want to attend in the first place." – Shay joked.

"You'd be surprised, but no, actually. I…well…to be honest, I kind of drifted apart from most of my friends these past few months."

Shay frowned, and, after thinking about her words carefully, she said in a sympathetic tone:

"I'm assuming you and your fiancée had a lot of mutual friends."

"Yeah. We did. And I know what you're gonna say, driving myself away from them is just avoiding my problems, not solving them…but I just couldn't…" – Rafferty started, her tone of voice showcasing a lot of frustration.

Shay took advantage of the red light and rested her free hand on her friend's leg.

"Hey, I get it." – She said with a calm voice.

Rafferty seemed to relax and looked out the window.

"You're just not doing yourself any favors on the long run. Eventually you should try and reach them again." – Shay said, and, to try and lighten up the mood a little bit, she added with a teasing smile on her face:

"I'm pretty sure you don't want to be stuck with a lesbian forever."

Mission accomplished. Rafferty laughed and diverted her attention from the window. She placed her hand above Shay's, as a silent way to say 'thanks you'. They shared a smile for a couple of seconds, until Rafferty broke their eye contact for a moment, and then looked back at her friend to say something, her lips still displaying a smile:

"Shay…" – She started.

Shay raised her eyebrows in anticipation, wondering what Rafferty was going to say.

"The light's green." – Rafferty ended up saying. Some cars had start honking behind them.

_Great._

"Allright, allright, I'm going you morons." – Shay took her hand from Rafferty's leg and waved it angrily to the cars behind her.

* * *

"Ugh, where did all these people come from?" – Complained Rafferty, as the whole group sat down on their designated seats. The stadium was bursting with Blackhawk fans.

Mouch, Cruz, Otis, Mills and Kelly all came to the game, and apparently Dawson and Casey would join them too, but haven't arrived yet and told them to go on ahead without them because they were very late.

"You know Raff, for a person whose job is dealing with people all the time…you sure are a bit anti-social." – Shay pointed out, as she sat by her side. There were two free seats at Shay's right side, reserved for Dawson and Casey.

"I'm not anti-social. I just don't like big crowds." – She defended herself. Hermann, who was sitting at her left, decided to jump into the conversation.

"You came to the wrong place tonight then."

"I can see that." – She said, sighing.

Shay inclined herself towards Rafferty, placed her arm around her shoulders, and asked, teasingly:

"Would you prefer being back at home watching reality TV shows?"

Rafferty didn't move an inch, and replied, her face a mere palm away from Shay's:

"I don't watch that kind of crap."

"Nevertheless…Just admit you prefer my company." – Shay insisted, having gained a bit of courage due to Rafferty not breaking away from the embrace.

Shay could swear Rafferty gained a bit of color in her cheeks, but maybe she just noticed it now since they were so close to each other.

"Hey guys!" – A familiar voice greeted.

Both women turned their heads to greet Dawson and Casey, who've just arrived.

Shay instinctively removed her arm from around Rafferty's shoulders, as she was afraid Dawson would read her like a book.

The rest of the gang said their 'His'' and 'Heys' shortly after in good spirits.

Dawson raised both her eyebrows at Shay as she sat down next to her.

"What?" – The blonde friend asked, aware she might've removed her arm too abruptly and Dawson might've seen the whole thing.

"What the hell was that?" – Dawson inquired, nodding her head in Rafferty's direction, who was now chatting with Hermann.

"What was what?"– Shay asked, pretending to be oblivious.

"You know _what_." – Dawson said, placing her arm over Shay's shoulders to show what she was talking about.

"Oh. _That._ We just get along now." – Shay said, shrugging it off.

"Leslie Shay, you should know better than try and fool me. You're blushing. Do you know how frequently you blush? I'll tell you: Never." – Dawson said with a wide smile.

"Ok: I know what you're thinking, and it's so not that." – Shay said.

"What's up?" – Asked Casey, after finally taking off his jacket and settling down by Dawson's side.

"Shay's got the hots for Rafferty." – Dawson stated casually.

"Oh!" – Casey said, looking slightly surprised at Shay - "Really?"

"Will you _please_ keep quiet?" – Shay begged Dawson, barely moving her lips. Rafferty could've easily overheard their whole exchange.

Dawson raised her hands in a defensive way and pursed her lips.

Shay sighed, threw one last menacing look at Dawson, and shifted back into her seat so she was facing the hockey field in front of her. The game was about to start.

* * *

**I know I'm taking a long time with this pairing, but I promise it's worth the ride :P**

**Teaser: **_The next chapter will include Dawson talking to Rafferty and Shay dropping Rafferty at her place after the game._


	7. Chapter 7

Next chapter will be posted probably tomorrow night, if I have the time.

* * *

On the second break of the game, Shay volunteered to restock part of the group's snacks, and while she was away (since Casey made a run for the bathroom) Dawson approached Rafferty and switched to Shay's spot.

"Shay told me why you got suspended, and it sucks. But I would have done the same thing." – Dawson admitted.

"Thank you." – Rafferty said, slightly surprised by her words.

"Anyway, it's cool you came to the game. I'm assuming you're a Blackhawks fan?" – Dawson asked, trying to make small chat.

"Ah, no, not really." – Upon seeing Dawson's confused face, Rafferty added:

"Shay dragged me into this game. She can be very persuasive."

"Wow. A non-hockey fan managed to invite another into a game." – Dawson pointed out, smiling at how ridiculously obvious it was they just wanted to spend time together, no matter the context. Dawson was beginning to suspect Shay was grabbing any opportunity outside of work to be with Rafferty.

"Yeah, well, it was a good chance to be with the crew outside of work. Don't get me wrong, Molly's is a great place. I just think my liver wouldn't take it if I went there frequently." – Rafferty joked.

"Fair enough. You gotta be there for Lesbian Night, though." – Dawson couldn't help it. She had to throw that one in there.

"Oh, so is it still happening?" – Rafferty asked, sounding genuinely interested.

_Ok, apparently not so homophobic. Shay was right, she was cool after all._

"I think so. We're just waiting for Shay to pick a day." – Dawson said.

Rafferty nodded. Some of the fans started singing the Blackhawks goal song just for fun.

"I must admit though, the spirit of the fans is kind of infectious. I can see myself enjoying this sport one day." – Rafferty admitted.

"Maybe it's just the good company" – Dawson said with a wink.

Rafferty didn't know if Dawson was referring to the whole group in general, or in Shay in particular, but she opted for the first one. Before she could say something in response, though, a familiar voice distracted her from her worries:

"Will your highness Gabriela Dawson of 61 move back to her seat, please?" – Asked Shay, who had just arrived. Casey was right behind her and was also carrying a couple of drinks.

"Speak of the devil…" – Mentioned Dawson, as she stood up and sat back at her seat.

_Ok, Dawson was definitely implying something about me and Shay, then. – _Rafferty thought, suddenly panicking.

Shay sat down and asked Rafferty to start passing the snacks to the others, adding shortly after:

"Whatever Dawson told you about me, it's all lies."

"Oh don't worry…Nothing bad." – Rafferty assured her, although her serious face might've shown the opposite.

"Then it's all true." – Shay said, actually managing to make Rafferty smile.

She was growing very fond of making her smile – mainly one of those smiles she just did – slightly shy, reserved, yet somehow completely irresistible. She usually accompanied them with putting her hair behind her ear, which she just did now, too.

_Ugh, I'm turning into a complete mess. – _Shay thought, changing her focus towards her fries.

The rest of the game went very well for the home team, who ended up the winner of tonight's game.

Rafferty spent the whole final part of the game thinking to herself, rarely engaging Shay in conversation. The blonde woman sensed her partner's mind was somewhere else, and decided to let her be and catch up with Dawson instead.

Outside the stadium, the group went separate ways – most of them heading to Molly's for an after-game celebration.

Shay asked for a rain check, since it was her night off the bartender duty and she needed to rest before another long week of work. Besides, she had promised Rafferty a ride home and she didn't feel like going to Molly's either.

Rafferty needed some time to gather her thoughts. After Dawson's comment, she began to wonder if it really was Shay the reason for her happiness, and came to a conclusion: not only did Shay make her happy, but the kind of happiness that she was giving her was not just one of a new friendship. She was falling hard for her.

Previously, that thought scared her to death, ending up buried deep inside. Whenever it surfaced again she pretended not to listen to it.

But if it was beginning to be obvious to other people that something was going on, it'd get harder to pretend it isn't there. She basically had two options: Accept it and do nothing about it, or accept it and actually make a move.

"Here we are. You're free as a bird now." – Shay announced, as she pulled over by the entrance of Rafferty's building.

"Thanks for the torture." – Rafferty said, knowing full well that Shay would know she was just teasing.

"Anytime." – Shay said with a smile.

Rafferty smiled back and made a move to open the door.

"Oh and Rafferty?" – Shay called.

As her friend turned back again into the seat and raised her eyebrows, Shay had a huge grin on her face.

"What?" – Rafferty asked after a few seconds.

"Lesbian Night's next Monday. Just thought you'd like to know."

_Oh you insufferable…_

Rafferty leaned over into Shay's personal space, delighted to see surprise in her friend's blue eyes. When she got as close as humanly possible to her face, she turned her head in order to be able to whisper in her ear.

"Can't wait."

And as soon as she said the words, she was turning around and leaving the car.

Even though Shay couldn't see, Rafferty was smiling as she got her keys from her jacket's pocket and opened the door to her apartment's building. Only after she got in and disappeared into the shadows, did Shay manage to think properly.

Her instinct told her to go after her, push her against a wall and kiss her silly, but…that would be unreasonable. Rafferty was just being a huge tease, for sure. She picked up her cellphone and decided to send a quick text.

She could still feel Rafferty's hot breath on her neck as she typed.

**You're so not getting away with that next time -S**

**If you take as much time as you did to react, I think I have no reasons to worry. -R**

**You're a tease. -S**

**And you love it. –R**

After hesitating for almost a minute, Shay decided it was better to be more direct.

**Only if it actually means something. -S**

**See you Monday -R**

* * *

**A/N: **I guess I'm also a bit of a tease, but I promise...pinky-promise, next chapter is what you're all waiting for. I think. I guess? Maybe. Who knows?


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry, didn't have time to develop this chapter at all these past few days.

**BUT HERE IT IS! Are you ready?**

* * *

At Lesbian Night, Molly's was so crowded that both Shay and Hermann were behind the counter doing bartender duty. Despite the number of people, everything was running smoothly: music was great, people seemed to be having fun, and most of the crew of 51 was there as backup helpers.

Shay's mood was nevertheless somber – it was almost midnight and still no sign of Rafferty. In two hours the bar would have to close and the possibility of spending some time with her former partner was diminishing by the minute.

"She'll come." – Hermann said, as he passed behind Shay in pursuit of another bottle of vodka.

"Doubt it." – Shay mumbled, sending a quick glance at the entrance of the bar when she saw the door opening for the millionth time that night.

"Geez, will you call her already? At least you'll stop looking at the damn door." – Said Hermann, picking a bottle out of the shelf and returning to the client on the other end of the counter.

Shay frowned. If Rafferty wasn't coming, calling her would only make her look like an eager idiot. No way was she going to risk that.

But suddenly there was no need. She had just come in and taken her jacket off, making her way to one of the tables occupied by 51's Division. She picked a seat next to Dawson and Casey, who were talking to Severide and Clarke.

From the moment that Rafferty entered the bar until she sat down smiling at her colleagues, Shay didn't take her eyes from the brunette. She was wearing a dark top that showed practically all of her neckline and shoulders.

"Hello-o?"

A hand was waving in front of Shay's face.

"What?" – She ended up asking, with an annoyed voice. Shay then noticed it was a male client who'd been waiting for her to serve a drink.

"Sorry, what are you having again?" – Shay quickly tried to save the situation.

"A beer. Tonight, if possible." – The guy said.

Shay swallowed the well-deserved comment and went for the beer tap.

Barely half a minute later, she came back to the client with a beer in her hand, noticing that Rafferty was already sitting at a stool next to him. Shay delivered the beer to its rightful owner, took the money and smiled in Rafferty's direction.

"I thought you weren't gonna come." – She said.

"I was trying to make it suspenseful." – Rafferty admitted, smiling back.

"Well, it worked. Don't ever do that again." – Shay said, as she busied herself preparing a whiskey cola to her friend.

"Or what?" – Asked Rafferty, leaning closer into the counter, using her elbows as support.

Shay shook her head, still smiling.

_The teasing strikes back._

She placed the now full whiskey glass on the counter between her and Rafferty. If only they were alone – she'd be able to wipe that smug grin from Rafferty's face.

"Flirting with the bartender won't get you free drinks. Pay up, Raff."

"Damn. Will it at least get me a ride home?" – Asked Rafferty. She then took the needed note from her pocket and placed it on the counter.

"Perhaps. You'll have to wait for me to close up the bar though." – Shay said, taking the money.

"Sure. I'll help you with it." – Rafferty said, throwing one last smile at Shay before taking the drink and making her way back to the table.

_Not only did Rafferty come to Lesbian Night, but she'll also stay until the very end. Jackpot._

Shay made her way to Hermann.

"Hey man, no need for you to help close the bar. Rafferty will help me out." – She informed her friend.

"That's an interesting turn of events." – He teased.

"Don't push it. Just get out of my sight at 2am." – Shay said, hitting Hermann with the towel she was holding.

"Be nice Shay. Otherwise I'll stay with you both and be the awkward dad." – Hermann said mostly to Shay's back, since she was already making her way to another customer.

* * *

It was a quarter to 2 and the bar still had a lot of people in it. A small group was by the jukebox dancing to the music, apparently a bit drunk. The only ones from 51 who were still there were Severide and Rafferty, sitting at the table were the rest of the crew had been not half an hour ago.

Rafferty was surprised to learn that she and Severide were getting along great. It was no wonder he was one of Shay's best friends. He really was a good guy.

Something caught Rafferty's attention mid-conversation though. She recognized the girl who'd hit on Shay on Molly's before, the one that supposedly had been texting her for weeks now.

She was sitting at one of the bar stools, making conversation with Shay, who had no customers to care for at the moment.

"You know her?" – Severide asked, having followed Rafferty's line of vision.

"Kind of. She was hitting on Shay a few weeks ago; you weren't here with us I think." – She answered - her eyes still on both women.

"As long as she's a good person…Shay's already had her share of scum." – Severide said.

This surprised Rafferty. She changed her focus to Severide.

"What happened?" – Rafferty, clearly intrigued.

"There was this chick that she hooked up with – ended up robbing the apartment overnight." – Severide said, not even trying to disguise the anger in his voice.

"Fuck!" – Exclaimed Rafferty, shocked.

Severide nodded, proceeding to take a swig of his beer.

She looked again at Shay. The woman was still talking to her.

A sudden wave of protectiveness took over Rafferty. Shay, one of the kindest people that Rafferty grew to meet – was the last person that deserved being robbed by a backstabbing bitch. Suddenly Rafferty felt bad for teasing her so much – she wouldn't be surprised if Shay was sick of being played/toyed with by another woman.

As if guessing that Rafferty was thinking about her, Shay glanced over at their table, momentarily ignoring the woman who was trying so hard to get her attention at the bar.

She caught Rafferty's staring. The brunette waved at her and smiled. The blonde woman did the same and turned her attention back to the woman at the bar.

"If you don't mind me asking…Do you know what Shay's type is?" – Rafferty asked. She didn't know exactly what made her feel so bold, if the whiskey or the recent knowledge she obtained from Severide.

"Why, you interested?" – Kelly asked.

"Maybe." – She answered, deciding she stopped caring what others thought.

Severide raised both his eyebrows in surprise.

"Seriously?" – He insisted.

"Yeah."

"I don't know. It's best if you just go for it. I never really believed in that 'type' thing anyway, you know? I mean, it's impossible to just fall for brunettes all your life." – Reasoned Severide.

"I guess you're right." – Rafferty agreed.

"Alright folks, this will be the last song of tonight, we're closing in five!" – Announced Shay's voice with the help of a microphone. The woman who was trying her luck with Shay nowhere to be seen.

Some gay couples paired up to dance to the slow music that someone picked from the jukebox.

Shay was observing them, sitting over the counter with a small smile on her face.

"Hey, do you girls need any help with closing the bar?" – Severide asked.

Rafferty looked back at him, a playful grin on her lips. When she didn't answer, something clicked in his head and he said, rising from his seat:

"Got it. Stupid question. Good luck." – He patted Rafferty on her back, then went to say goodbye to Shay and made his way to the exit.

* * *

Getting all the people off the bar was tough work. Maybe Severide would've been of help after all. But in the end, thankfully, nothing went wrong. After finally closing the door behind her around 2.20am, Shay sighed in relief.

Rafferty was already gathering all the abandoned glasses from all over the bar and placing them on the counter.

Shay made her way over the other side to continue the washing of the huge pile of small dishes and glasses.

After being sure she had fetched every glass in the room, Rafferty made her way to the jukebox and pushed a button.

"Really, Rafferty…really? Y.M.C.A? How very gay of you." – Shay unnecessarily shouted from behind the counter. She was too used to shouting during the whole night to be able to communicate with the customers.

"I thought it fitted tonight's theme." – Rafferty said, joining Shay by the sink. As she started helping out with the washing, Rafferty started swaying to the rhythm of the song.

Shay noticed this and laughed.

"Have you stolen someone's drink? Because you're dancing to Y.M.C.A and I only served you one whiskey cola."

"Can't a person just really like a song?" – Rafferty asked.

"It's a free country." – Shay said with a huge smile on her face, as she washed a small appetizer dish.

_Ok Allison, it's now or never._

"So, basically you're saying I'm free to do anything I want." – Rafferty asked, dropping the joking tone.

The sponge was long forgotten on her side of the sink, as Rafferty was now facing Shay. The blonde woman, however, was still focused on the washing, oblivious to Rafferty's change of tone.

"Within the legal boundaries, su…" – Shay started saying, but stopped as Rafferty turned her around and got impossibly close to her. Shay was now officially stuck between Rafferty and the sink.

"Oh…" – Shay managed to say.

Thankfully, the song had already finished by the time Rafferty's lips were on Shay's; otherwise it would have been the most cliché moment of their lives. With the little mind power that Shay had left, she grabbed Rafferty by her waist and pulled her even closer. Rafferty's hands moved from Shay's face so that her arms circle her shoulders and neck, finally closing off all space left between their bodies. Both their hands were still slightly wet and cold from the washing but none of them seemed to care about that.

What started out to be an impulsive and desperate kiss slightly toned down for a passionate, slow one that neither of them wanted to ever end. When Rafferty's tongue made contact with Shay's, the brunette couldn't help but let out a small moan and wonder why the hell she had taken so long to do this.

After what could've been many minutes or just a few seconds (they'll never know for sure), they grew a few centimeters apart.

"Ok, so, that was legal, I think. Honestly I can't be sure of anything right now." – Shay admitted.

Rafferty smiled, her right hand playfully touching the back of Shay's neck.

"It it's illegal then I'm about to commit another crime." – She said, leaning in again.

Shay gathered all her forces to avoid the kiss; she couldn't let this huge change pass by.

"That was the cheesiest thing I've ever heard in my entire life." – She said, the biggest grin on her face.

"Ugh. You're right. Please delete it from your memory." – She asked, with an overly disgusted face.

"Not gonna happen." – Shay said, her hands slowly going up and down Rafferty's back. She then dived into Rafferty's neckline and begun trailing kisses up and down that area. "Not ever."

"Fine." – Rafferty managed to say, leaning her head to one the opposite side that Shay's lips were exploring. – "Just don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain."

"M'kay." – Shay said, making her way up Rafferty's neck, ear, and eventually kissing her full on the lips again.

After a couple of minutes, Shay's cellphone began ringing. They broke the kiss again, but didn't let go of their embrace. Shay grabbed her cell from her back pocket and answered the call.

"Yellow." – Greeted Shay.

After some kind of question was asked, Rafferty couldn't know for sure, Shay promptly answered: "Yup! Yes. _Really._ Bye now, _dad._"

She finished the call and looked at Rafferty, who was slightly confused.

"Your dad?" – She asked.

"No. It was Hermann. He was asking if we hooked up or not."

* * *

**Should I continue this?**

**Update: **Ok judging by all the amazing feedback, I will continue it :)

**P.S: **Next chapter you'll understand why Shay told Hermann, knowing Rafferty wouldn't mind.


End file.
